MN69Grande 203 Report post Posted August 22, 2017 I've emailed with John at Open Tracker Racing a little bit lately after I ordered some Roller Spring Perches from them. One of the topics was on controlling the back end. I had mentioned I was thinking Pan-Hard Bar or Watts Link and he said to try aluminum bushings for the leaf springs. Anyone have any experience with this kit?http://opentrackerracing.com/product/del-lum-leaf-spring-bushing-kit-1965-1973/ Does it help keep the weight in the back from pulling in a hard corner? For the money it seems like it would be worth trying. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ashleesmach1 28 Report post Posted August 22, 2017 John does know his stuff and he's a great person as well! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MN69Grande 203 Report post Posted August 22, 2017 Oh I don't doubt that. He actually was pitching me on less expensive solutions than what I was looking to do. I was just wondering if anyone on the forum was using the product and see how much they like them. I don't mind being a guinea pig. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ashleesmach1 28 Report post Posted August 23, 2017 When I redid the rear on my car I used urethane bushings in the rear. I hated them! My car felt like a buck board, too harsh! So I went back to rubber on the front of the leafs and stayed with heavy duty shackles and bushings at the rear. I too am wondering how these would affect ride quality. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
427Stang 23 Report post Posted August 23, 2017 I used Del-Alum bushings on my 68 coupe. They were form Pro Motorsports (this was back in the early 1990's). The ride was rougher than normal but they did improve cornering quite a bit. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MN69Grande 203 Report post Posted August 23, 2017 4 hours ago, ashleesmach1 said: When I redid the rear on my car I used urethane bushings in the rear. I hated them! My car felt like a buck board, too harsh! So I went back to rubber on the front of the leafs and stayed with heavy duty shackles and bushings at the rear. I too am wondering how these would affect ride quality. -- This is why I didn't buy a poly kit in the first place. Since the car is basically for fun on the streets I wanted to keep decent ride quality. 3 hours ago, 427Stang said: I used Del-Alum bushings on my 68 coupe. They were form Pro Motorsports (this was back in the early 1990's). The ride was rougher than normal but they did improve cornering quite a bit. -- When you say rougher was it similar to ashleesmach1's statement that it was like a buck board? I would think the Del-Alum would allow the leafs to move more and do their job better but you would be loosing the cushioning in the bushing. I was originally thinking a future upgrade would be a Watts Link or a Pan-hard Bar. But John suggested this bushing kit. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
1969_Mach1 333 Report post Posted August 23, 2017 I have 5 leaf rear springs rated at 195 lb./inch and installed Polyurethane bushings on them: (1) The front press in bushings walking out and (2) under hard acceleration (not tire spinning acceleration) the rear of the car felt a little unstable, side to side. The polyurethane bushings stopped both those issues but the ride did get a little more harsh. Unless you have soft leaf springs, I'd expect a harsh ride from the Del-A-Lum. By the way, those Del-A-Lum bushing kits are made by Global West. You can get them direct fromt Global West and even places like Summit Racing. Global West has some nice products. I have their adjustable Monte Carlo bar, subframe connectors (not installed yet), and coil spring insulators. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
427Stang 23 Report post Posted August 23, 2017 1 hour ago, MN69Grande said: -- This is why I didn't buy a poly kit in the first place. Since the car is basically for fun on the streets I wanted to keep decent ride quality. -- When you say rougher was it similar to ashleesmach1's statement that it was like a buck board? I would think the Del-Alum would allow the leafs to move more and do their job better but you would be loosing the cushioning in the bushing. I was originally thinking a future upgrade would be a Watts Link or a Pan-hard Bar. But John suggested this bushing kit. The ride wasn't earth shaking but you can feel the difference. The Del-Alum bushings have a very snug fit to control side to side movement. Make sure you lube them well when installing or you will hear them. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vicfreg 771 Report post Posted August 23, 2017 I just installed a panhard bar suspension on my '70 convertible, pics are posted on my project forum. I used Poly bushings. I have not driven the car yet, but I have Poly bushings on my '68 and I like the way the car handles, but sacrificed some ride quality for it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites